Air conditioning unit



Aug. 1, 1950 D, HARRls 2,517,428

AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Filed May 2, 1947 GORDON D HARR/s INVEN TOR.

fatented Aug. 1 1950 UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Gordon D. Harris, Freeport, N. Y.

Application May '2, 1947, Serial'No. 745,538

Claims. 1

This invention relates to an air conditioning unit, and has for a primary object the provisions of a relatively small inexpensive but effective article of manufacture, the nature of which is to sterilize the air in a room and to release vapors that serve to counteract or neutralize unpleasant odors.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unit of this sort which is portable so that it may be moved at will from one room to another.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a unit of this sort which operates without a motor or other moving parts.

The above noted as well as other objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which the figure is a cross-sectional elevational view of a unit embodying the features of the present invention. In this drawing, however, the invention is shown merely by way of example and in preferred form and obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not to be limited to any specific form or embodiment, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawing, the unit comprises a flared base IE! which carries a reservoir I partially filled with a suitable solution !2 which, when heated, releases vapors capable of neutralizing or counteracting objectionable odors that may be present in a room. A vertically disposed chimney I3 is positioned about the reservoir l I and is supported therefrom by a plurality of spaced rods or struts l4. Near its base and opposite the lower end of the reservoir H, the chimney I3 is provided with a plurality of light sockets !5 in which are fastened infra-red lamps or tubes l6. Above these and also opposite the walls of the reservoir II, the chimney i3 is provided with a plurality of additional light sockets H in which are fastened lamps 0r tubes [8 that produce or create ultra-violet rays. The power for operating the lamps [6, I3 is provided by a two wire cord l9 which by means of the usual plug (not shown) may be connected to an ordinary house lighting circuit. The cord i3 terminates in a switch box fastened to the chimney I3 and from the box a two wire cord 2i leads to the infra-red lamps or tubes 16 and a similar two wire cord 22 leads to the ultra-violet ray lamps or tubes I8.

When both the infra-red ray lamps or tubes l6 and the ultra-violet ray lamps or tubes 18 are rendered operative, the heat generated thereby causes the air in the room to enter through at the lower end of the chimney i3 and to travel upwardly therethrough to the top from whence it is discharged into the room. As t. e air thus travels upwardly through the chimney i3 it is subjected to the action of the rays generated by the ultra-violet ray lamps or tubes 18 with the result that any bacteria present therein will be destroyed.

In addition, heat generated by the lamps or tubes 16 and i8 will be transmitted or transferred through the walls of the reservoir 5 i to the solution contained therein and will cause the same to vaporize. The vapors thus released will rise and co-mingle with the upwardly flowing sterilized air and will be so discharged from the top of the chimney I3 into the room where it will serve to neutralize or counteract unpleasant odors that may be present in the room. In addition, of course, the vapors thus released will add to the humidity of the air in the room. As a matter of fact, by substituting plain water for the neutralizing solution E2 in the reservoir ll, the above described arrangement may be used as a humidifier.

The rate of vaporization of the solution [2 in the reservoir l l depends upon the heat generated by the lamps l6, l8 and may be controlled, as for example, by cutting in or out of the circuit a predetermined number of lamps. In the event, therefore, that it is desired to use the unit simply as an air sterilizer it is only necessary to reduce the heat generated by the lamps to the point where no vaporization of the solution 12 takes place.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An air conditioning unit comprising a chimney, a reservoir for containing an odor neutralizing solution positioned within chimney, an air sterilizing element positioned between. the walls of said chimney and the walls of reservoir, and a heating element adapted to cause heated air to travel upwardly through said chimney and about the walls of said reservoir to cause vaporization of said solution.

2. An air conditioning unit comprising a chimney, a reservoir for containing an odor neutralizing solution positioned within said chimney, a plurality of ultra-violet ray lamps positioned between the walls of said chimney and the walls of said reservoir, and means for causing heated air to travel upwardly through said chimney and about the walls of said reservoir to cause vaporization of said solution.

plurality of heating lamps positioned between the Walls of said chimney and the wallsof said reservoir near the lower end thereof, and a plurality of ultra-violet ray lamps positioned between the walls of said chimney and the walls of said reservoir above said heating lamps.

5. An air conditioning unit comprising a chimney, a reservoir for containing an odor neutralizing solution positioned within said chimney, a plurality of infra-red ray lamps positioned between the walls of said chimney and the walls of said reservoir near the lower end thereof, and a plurality of ultra-violet ray lamps positioned between the walls of said chimney and the walls of said reservoir above said infra-red ray lamps.

GORDON D. HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,421,633 Weidlich et al July 4, 1922 2,335,056

Grison Nov. 23, 1943 

